Major improvement project in Magoffin County will last about three years

SALYERSVILLE, Ky. (Dec. 7, 2016) – Crews working on the Mountain Parkway Expansion in Magoffin County this week will begin replacing a bridge across Burning Fork. The project represents the first road construction work that will take place on Restaurant Row in Salyersville.

The new Burning Fork bridge will be a four-lane structure that will be built to the south (left in this photo) of the current bridge on the Mountain Parkway.

Crews currently are preparing to relocate underground utilities near the current Burning Fork bridge, located just west of the U.S. 460 intersection. Soon, work will begin to build a new bridge on the south side of the parkway that will carry the expanded, four-lane parkway over Burning Fork.

“Our initial bridge work won’t impact traffic, but we want travelers to know we are working in the area” said Marshall Carrier, a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineer who is project manager for the Mountain Parkway Expansion. “These initial improvements, along with the clearing and utility work already started on Restaurant Row, will continue well into next year and set the stage for the widening of the entire corridor.”

The Restaurant Row Segment stretches nearly 2½ miles through Salyersville. It starts at the end of the current Mountain Parkway – just east of the KY 7 interchange (Exit 75) – and runs to just east of the KY 114/US 460 junction.

Over the next three years, the main roadway will be widened to four lanes and converted to a partially controlled parkway that will improve the flow of traffic while ensuring access to businesses, residences and other facilities along Restaurant Row. The project includes improving and expanding a system of local access roads.

Work is starting to replace the Burning Fork bridge, on the west end of Salyersville’s Restaurant Row area.

Underground utility work is already underway along Restaurant Row, with the focus currently on the areas around Burning Fork Road (KY 1888). This work will continue through 2017 to prepare for roadway construction.

Speed limits have been reduced, and signs are posted to alert drivers to use caution.

Throughout the construction project, construction crews will maintain full access through Restaurant Row and to the businesses and properties along the corridor. The project team also will continue to communicate progress and more details about construction plans and schedules as the project advances.

“The Restaurant Row project is an important part of the Mountain Parkway Expansion,” Carrier said. “It’s heavily traveled, and it is a key connection between the Mountain Parkway and a large part of Eastern Kentucky. This project will significantly improve safety and access, but we have a big job ahead.”

About the Mountain Parkway Expansion

The Mountain Parkway Expansion is a 46-mile transportation improvement project that will create a wider, safer connection between Eastern Kentucky and the rest of the Commonwealth. It is a key transportation project designed to close the only gap in a 400-mile, four-lane, high-speed corridor for commerce and mobility across Kentucky from Pikeville to Paducah. The project will widen 30 miles of the existing parkway to four lanes and extend the parkway by about 16 miles between Salyersville and Prestonsburg.